Rik Barnett’s play BOSIE was announced today as an official OFFIES 2024 finalist. BOSIE played in Manchester last summer as part of the Great Manchester Fringe Festival to much acclaim. BOSIE won the Canal Street Media Award along with garnering numerous rave reviews; Canal Street Online said that BOSIE was “a very well researched soliloquy” with “humour and tenderness mixed with lasciviousness”, and that “the delivery is a sharp (at times passionate) staccato with some excellent bon mots worthy of Oscar Wilde himself”. The British Theatre guide said that is was “a great play with a superb performance by Barnett”, and North West End Theatre gave the show four stars saying that it was a “sharp piece of theatre and “a tour-de-force performance” from Barnett, they also noted that “this history lesson was delivered by a script which was at times as witty as anything Oscar Wilde himself wrote”.
BOSIE chronicles the struggles and plight of Oscar Wildes lover Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas -who is affectionately referred to as Bosie-. It is set during Bosie’s exile while Wilde faces trial back in London. This solo performance written and performed by Barnett is a remarkable piece of theatre and will be touring in 2024.
The play has been a labour of love and intense research for writer and star Rik Barnett, leading him to complete an MRes in Storytelling focusing on Lord Alfred and the play itself back in 2022.
Since last summers performances; there’s been traction with the project, a UK tour and now a potential TV adaption, the BBC looking at a six-part drama with Stephen Fry reprising his much lauded role as Oscar Wilde. Fry previously took on the role in the movie WILDE back in 1997, the role of Bosie was performed by Jude Law.
Barnett’s previous work has landed him international acclaim, winning the best supporting actor award at Ibiza International Film Festival, the previous winner was Alfred Molina. Barnett has also graced the front covers of various international magazines, such as Jack the Lad magazine and also OUT in Thailand.
This Offie nomination and Barnett’s future projects are the start of an exciting year ahead for this proud Northern writer and actor.
